


Morgan's Problem

by Larry_Klaine_Stylinson



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Bulimia, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-03
Updated: 2013-04-03
Packaged: 2017-12-07 08:02:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/746203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson/pseuds/Larry_Klaine_Stylinson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry has been noticing his and Louis' daughter Morgan acting very strange recently. He's chalked it up to her growing up, but something just doesn't feel right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Morgan's Problem

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a prompt fill on Tumblr.

Over the past few months, Harry had noticed his and Louis' daughter Morgan acting a bit strange. She'd become more distant, but Harry had just sort of chalked that up to the fact that she was fifteen. When he had been fifteen he'd still had an extremely close relationship with his mum, but he knew that was rather abnormal, so if Morgan wanted to spend most of her time holed up in her room, or the bathroom, spending hours in there, most likely trying out different kinds of makeup, he'd just have to deal with that.

She'd also gotten quite snippity, snapping at Harry and Louis more often than not, and they'd taking turns trying to reprimand her, but it didn't seem to be having much of an affect. Harry would get up some mornings and it would look like a rabid animal had run through the house, tearing through the fridge and the cabinets and eating a large amount of food, and Harry had wondered if maybe Morgan was having a growth spurt, though he thought that maybe she was a bit too old for that. He knew he was right around her age when he started sprouting up, but that all happened earlier for girls, didn't it? He didn't know. He was kind of useless at being a dad sometimes. He loved Morgan more than anything in the world, aside from probably Louis, but sometimes he just didn't know how to take care of her.

She stormed in from school one day, and Louis was out at the shop. Neither he nor Louis worked, because they still had quite a lot of money left over from their time in One Direction, and they didn't need to work at this point. They were able to lead a rather normal life, however, the band having disbanded on good terms many years ago, and the hysteria having died down. They'd still get recognized from time to time, mostly by women their age, who instead of screaming and mauling them like their fans used to do, would just sort of look at them and sigh, obviously reminiscing about the good old days when they were young and listened to the boys' music. Harry liked those moments. It reminded him what an impact they'd had on people's lives back then, the fact that people would look back on their days spent listening to them and just smile a little and wave as they passed them, and Harry and Louis would wave back.

Morgan had slammed the door on her way into the house, throwing her rucksack down on the ground and flopping onto the couch, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Morgan?" Harry called from the kitchen where he'd been doing dishes.

"What?!" She snapped.

Harry set the sponge down, drying his hands on the towel beside the sink and coming out to the living room. He sat down on the couch next to his daughter, "Morgan, love, you've got to stop snapping at your daddy and I."

Morgan sighed, rolling her eyes, and Harry noticed how worn down she looked.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

"Nothing's wrong, dad."

"Doesn't seem like nothing." Harry commented.

"Well it's nothing, okay?! Stop interrogating me!"

She got up from the couch, storming up the stairs and slamming her door. Harry sighed, running a hand over his face and heading back into the kitchen to finish up with the dishes. As he was washing them, the front door opened and Louis came in carrying a few bags of groceries. He kissed Harry on the back of the neck as he passed him, setting the bags down on the counter.

"Hi, love." Louis greeted as Harry rinsed the last plate. "How are things?"

"Things are...Not great." Harry sighed, turning around and facing Louis, leaning back against the counter. "Morgan stormed in from school and then snapped at me about how nothing was wrong before running off to her room."

Louis looked at Harry sympathetically, "Girls, huh?" He asked, grinning.

Harry cracked a smile, but ultimately, he wasn't in the mood for laughing. He was worried about their daughter. As much as he knew teenage hormones could change a person, this just wasn't like her. Something wasn't right, and it had been going on for far too long.

"Let's sit her down and talk with her tomorrow, yeah? Try and figure out what's wrong." Harry said. "I'm sure there's something bothering her. She looked so worn out today, Lou. Like there's something big she's keeping from us. I'm worried."

"Alright, love." Louis came over to Harry, kissing him gently on the top of the head. "We'll have a chat. She'll be alright."

Harry nodded, smiling, and placing a quick kiss to Louis' lips.

000

Dinner the night before had been...Tense, to say the least. Morgan was in a bit of a mood, and it seemed as if most of it was directed at Harry. He wasn't sure what he'd done to make her quite so upset. All he'd done was ask if she was alright.

It was Saturday afternoon now, though, and Morgan hadn't come down for breakfast. Louis had said they should give her a bit of time, in case she was still upset about whatever had happened yesterday. But as the day dragged on, Harry decided he was going to go get her. Tell her they needed to have a little chat.

"I'll be back, Lou."

"Alright. I'll be here." Louis smiled.

Harry climbed the stairs, knocking on Morgan's door.

He was met with silence.

"Morgan, c'mon, love. It's dad." Harry said, knocking again.

Silence.

"Morgan, if you're still asleep, I-" Harry opened the door, stopping mid sentence as he took in the sight before him.

Morgan was lying in an awkward crumpled heap on the floor, her arm bent in what looked to be a very uncomfortable position underneath her. She was obviously unconscious, and Harry just prayed that she was still breathing.

He rushed to her side, putting two fingers against the pulse point on her neck, and her heart was still beating, but her breathing was shallow. Ragged, almost.

"Lou!" He yelled, sounding panicked even to his own ears. "LOUIS!"

He scooped their daughter up, cradling her in his arms, and he felt how light she was, even with her body limp. Her frame was small and fragile, and he wondered when on earth she'd gotten so thin. He didn't remember her looking like this just yesterday. So small and breakable.

"Harry, what-?" Louis stopped in the doorway. "Morgan? Harry, what's happened?" He asked, rushing over to the two.

"Dunno." Harry whispered, his eyes not leaving Morgan's face. "I came in and she...She was just lying here."

"I'm calling an ambulance." Louis said, resting a hand on Harry's back comfortingly as he pulled out his phone and dialed.

It wasn't long until they heard the sirens outside, and Louis went to let them in. They loaded Morgan onto a gurney and took her out to the ambulance, Harry and Louis following after them. If it hadn't been for Louis, Harry would have forgotten to put his shoes on.

They rode to the hospital in silence, Harry holding Louis' hand in a death grip the entire way.

What had happened? Why was Morgan unconscious? Why was she so small and frail and thin? This wasn't his little girl. He hardly recognized her as he stared at her tiny, unmoving body, a breathing mask over her face. This wasn't Morgan. It wasn't right.

They arrived at the hospital, and Harry and Louis were led to the waiting room. They handed the men some paperwork, which Louis promptly began to fill out, obviously not trusting Harry with such things right now.

Louis had always handled tough situations better than he had. Louis had a large family, was used to putting others before himself. He could hold his own in any situation. But Harry...Harry was the youngest of the two children in his family, and he'd been the youngest in One Direction. People babied him, and he didn't mind, but it hadn't done much to toughen him up and prepare him for all the hardships life would throw at him, and so when he was faced with situations like these, he tended to shut down.

After what seemed like days, but was hardly over an hour, a doctor came out, standing in front of them and looking at them solemnly.

Harry looked to Louis, who was looking up at the doctor expectantly, and then turned to face the doctor himself.

"You're Morgan's parents?" He asked softly.

Harry felt Louis nod beside him.

"I have good news and bad news."

Harry winced at the words 'bad news'.

"Morgan is stable." The doctor nodded. "But after running a few tests, we've come to the conclusion that your daughter is suffering from bulimia. She's highly underweight, and the back of her throat is scratched raw, I'm sure you can figure out why." The doctor said, sadly. "I suggest you send her to an inpatient mental facility, just for a few weeks. I have a number that I'll get for you, alright? You give them a call and tell them I sent you. I work with them often in situations like these, and I'd trust them with my loved ones."

Harry was in shock. He was vaguely aware that his mouth had dropped open slightly, and he wanted to speak to the doctor, ask him questions or at least say thank you, but no words were forming. How had he not seen this sooner?

"Thank you, doctor. I'd love the number for that mental hospital, yeah." Louis said, nodding, but sounding almost as dazed as Harry felt.

The doctor nodded, "I'll get that for you right away. You can come back and see her now. She's awake and was wondering where you two were."

Harry nodded as Louis stood up, pulling Harry along with him. They held hands tightly as they followed the doctor to the room. Harry was trying to think of what he would say to his daughter, but he couldn't think of anything. He had no idea what to do in situations like this. Maybe he'd just let Louis do the talking.

The doctor opened the door, and Harry and Louis stepped inside.

"Dad, daddy." She smiled, greeting Harry and Louis in turn.

"Hey, pumpkin." Louis smiled, pulling Harry over to the bed by his hand. "How're you feeling?"

"Tired." Morgan sighed.

"Listen, love." Louis began. "The doctor told us you were showing signs of bulimia?" He said it like a question, like he was asking her if the doctor was right.

Morgan suddenly burst into tears, and before Harry could stop himself he was climbing into the hospital bed, lying next to her and holding her close, her head on his chest.

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed.

"Hush." Harry said, petting her hair. "What are you sorry for?"

"I don't know." Morgan wailed. "Please don't hate me, dad. Daddy, please don't hate me."

"Whoa whoa whoa." Louis said. "Why would we hate you, sweetie?"

"Because I'm a freak." She sniffled. "Because I make myself throw up."

"That doesn't make us hate you." Louis said. "It could never. What it makes us do is worry, Morgan. Why have you been doing this to yourself?"

"Because I'm f-fat." She was breathing in hiccuping gasps now.

"Deep breath, love." Harry said. "Stop crying so we can discuss this, yeah?"

Morgan cried for a few more moments before her breathing calmed, and the tears slowed, and then finally stopped, and she looked up at her two fathers with red rimmed eyes, and Harry's heart ached for her.

"Morgan." Harry said. "I want you to look at me." Morgan did as she was told. "You are not fat."

"You have to say that." Morgan scoffed. "You're my dad."

"The doctor told us you're very underweight, bubs." Louis said, looking at his daughter sadly. "You were gorgeous before all of this. What made you want to change?"

"I'm not that popular." Morgan shrugged. "None of the boys like me and none of the girls invite me to their slumber parties."

"Then you're trying to make friends with the wrong people." Harry told her. "You're beautiful and intelligent and funny, and you don't need to make yourself any thinner. You need to gain some weight, alright?"

Morgan began to cry again, "I don't want to be fat." She buried her face in her father's chest.

"Morgan." Louis said, putting a hand on her back and rubbing in soothing circles. "You aren't fat. You never were."

"Have you seen me?!" She asked loudly. "Look at me, daddy. Really look at me."

Harry glanced at Louis, who took in his daughter's appearance. Harry took a look as well. He was nearly certain that if he rested a hand on her ribcage, he would be able to feel each rib individually through her shirt.

"Do you honestly think you're fat?" Louis asked, concern lacing his tone.

Morgan sniffled, nodding, and Harry and Louis looked at each other, deep concern and a bit of sorrow on each of their faces.

"The doctor's giving us a number for a nice inpatient mental hospital for you to go to, love."

"No!" Morgan screeched. "No, dad, you can't make me go! I don't wanna go there."

"Daddy and I obviously aren't going to be able to held you with this, love. And if we let it continue then what kind of parents would we be? I'm not going to lose you." Harry told her.

Morgan wrapped her arms tightly around Harry, "But I don't want to go. I'll get better, I promise."

"I don't think you can get better on your own." Louis told her. "You're not seeing yourself properly, and until you can, you won't get better. You need special doctors with special skills who can talk to you and help you see yourself for the beautiful young woman you are."

"I don't want to go." Morgan whispered. "Please."

"It's for your own good." Harry told her, kissing her on the top of the head. "Just for a few weeks, alright?"

"The kids at school are going to think I'm a freak. No one will talk to me anymore."

"Anyone worth talking to will still talk to you." Harry told her.

"Can I tell you something, love?" Louis asked her, and Morgan nodded. "When your dad and I were in One Direction, we were in the public eye all the time, yeah? And sometimes I felt self conscious. It's hard not to, when everyone's looking at you all the time. I had a little bit of a tummy. I wasn't fat or even overweight, and I wasn't unattractive. I just had a little tummy. And all the fans loved it, apparently. But I didn't. And whenever anyone brought attention to it, I'd get quite uncomfortable. So I do know how you're feeling, love, I do. But your dad and I can't help you with this, and I don't want you making yourself sick anymore. So can you go to the mental hospital for a little while? For me?"

Harry had reached out a hand, taking one of Louis' in his, and they were smiling at each other as Morgan raised her head. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she nodded slowly.

"Good." Louis smiled.

"You're going to get better." Harry told her. "You're going to feel better, too. You're going to be happy, yeah?"

Morgan nodded again.

"We'll call the hospital tomorrow and set everything up for you, yeah?" Louis said.

"Okay, daddy." Morgan said, voice small and a little nervous.

"You're going to be okay, love." Harry murmured, holding her tight.

000

On Monday Harry and Louis drove Morgan to the mental hospital. It was out of town a bit, about an hour or so away. They'd helped her pack enough clothes for three weeks, and as they pulled up in front of the large building, Harry realized they wouldn't be seeing her for three whole weeks.

They all got out of the car, and Harry grabbed her suitcase for her. They walked her inside and met the doctors, and then it was time for Harry and Louis to leave.

Morgan hugged them both tightly, and all three of them were reluctant to let go.

"Bye, Morgan. We'll see you soon." Harry smiled. "I love you."

"I love you, too, dad."

Louis hugged her a little tighter, "I love you to bits."

"I can't breathe." Morgan squeaked. "But I love you, too."

They all let go of each other, and Harry took Louis' hand as they walked back to the front entrance, waving back at Morgan until she was out of sight.

"She's going to be okay, Harry." Louis said as they pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.

000

The past three weeks had been the longest of Harry's life, and as Louis drove towards the hospital, Harry was anxious. What if Morgan wasn't better? What if she'd had a horrible time and hated them for forcing her to go? They hadn't been allowed visits or phone calls, and so they knew nothing of her progress.

They pulled up to the hospital and Morgan was standing outside with one of her doctors. Harry noticed right away that she had begun to fill out a bit again, her face looking brighter and her arms not quite so sickly thin.

"Dad!" She yelled, running to Harry and hugging him tightly, more strength in the hug than she'd had on the day they dropped her off. "Daddy!" She ripped herself away from Harry to hug Louis.

"You look better." Louis smiled.

"Did you miss us?" Harry asked.

"Of course!" Morgan exclaimed. "Thank you for making me come here. Thank you." She said, pulling them both to her and kissing them each on the cheek.

"No need to thank us." Louis said.

"It was as much for our benefit as it was yours."

"I made friends here." Morgan said. "They're all so nice, and I gave some of them our phone number and they'll be calling when they get out and maybe you can meet them." She beamed.

"I'd love to meet them." Harry smiled.

"There was a cute boy, too. His name's Riley and he's really sweet and he's my age and he told me I'm pretty and I'd be pretty no matter what I weigh." Morgan was blushing now, and Harry smiled even wider.

"Do I sense a relationship in the works?" Louis asked.

Morgan shrugged, "Dunno. We're friends, so if he comes over and meets you and you like him..." She shrugged again.

"We'll see, love. We'll see." Harry laughed.

"I have to keep going to therapy. I've got the number of some good therapists in my pocket. I'm mostly alright, but they want to make sure I'm really really good before I'm on my own completely."

"We'll call first thing tomorrow." Louis told her.

They loaded her suitcase into the car, and then climbed in themselves after Harry and Louis had thanked the doctor for taking such good care of their daughter.

They turned the radio on, and Morgan began singing along loudly from the back seat.

"You seem happy." Harry commented, and Louis reached out, grabbing on to one of Harry's hands and squeezing it happily.

"I am, dad. I really am."


End file.
